The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-04-08
STUDENT TUSHIN'S ORATORY
An Exciting Incident that Occurred in
the University of st. Petersburg.
An Essay Denouncing the Car and His Gov
eminent Greeted with Storms of Frantic
Cheers by Liberty Loving Students.


Gar was startled at the sight OF hundreds of
heads instead of the usual dozen of bespectacled
young men before him. But he subdued his sur
prise, opened a volume of some memoirs and,
addressing himself to the audience asked:
'sWhat is the order of the day2'
Reading of vacation essays" replied half
dozen stentorian voices. The students had just
from their Christmas vacation. On
the morning of Feb. 2, it was given out in the
corridors of the huge university building that the
Historians" were going to have some fun Each
student therefore hurried to the historical class,
and the large hall was soon crowded with young
of all the races that form the
vast population of Russia There were also
good number of young female students, COM
monty dubbed female Nihilists, with spectaces
and nonchaiant appearance, in the hall. Seren-
ity and Juvenile recklassness pervaded the
checkered gathering They cracked jokes.
laughed, narrated vacation experiences while
Whiting for the opening of the class. but silence
set in as soon as the professor made his appear
ance After mastering the audience for few
minutes the professor said: Let those who have
written their essays come forward and read"
A half dozen students stepped up to the plat
tory of the Rascolniki, the Greek Catholic rene
gades in the provinces of Tschernigof and
Kursk: another read something about the an
cient history of Crimea; others followed with
kindred historical sketches. Finally slender
young man with long, blonde hair, smooth,
pale face, and blue spectacles began reading a
paper entitled, From Ancient History" He
prefaced his essay by few remarks saying
that he strictly followed the old classic writers
ca,tx 1l-.x
Paterculus, Seneca, Philon and others. He
read in a sonorous, passionate voice as follows:
"A vast empire, composed of most heterogen-
eous parts, which are kept together by mere
force, extends from the cold northern marshes
and forests to the green shores of the warm
southern sea. 1t takes up a considerable por-
ton of the globe, tens of millions of men form
its population, but its entire administration Is
concentrated in the hands of One
man has unlimited, uncontrolled sway over this
gigantic empire. Many years reigned the old
Emperor, Tiberius, and he reigned not without
glory, as some of his devoted literari-for in
stance, Velleius Paterculus-say. In the ever
restless western provinces dangerous uprising
ouelled, an uprising caused, withal, by the
thievery and piracy of the officials sent theRs by
the government, as we'll as by the patriotism Of
a conquered and oppressed nation-I mean the
uprising of Julius Florus and Julins Sacrovirus,
of which Tactus narrates in the third chapter
of his annals"
Prolonged cheers and cries of Bravo and
durran 1Or IOlanQ. interrupted the young
reader be, in marter-of-facs manner, pro-
nounced the last senterce. When silence was
restored he continued: 'Suetonius in his book
on Tlberius, Chapter 33-also Tacltus and Dion
Cassius-tell US that some reforms were brought
about during his reign, especially in judicial af
fairs, which were In a total state OF corruption
before. 1t is interesting to know under what
circumstances his reign began. julius Caesar,
the predecessor of his father-the fact that Tt
berius was only an adaptive son of Octavius Au-
gustus makes no difference-was a civilized pol
ished, good natured gentleman who knew how
to make friends He covered himself with i'm
mortal glory through mis- campaign in France,
where he destroyed vast army of the
Gauls and vanquished most celebrated
general - Vincicetorx [Cheers and cries
'Napoleon.l Caesars successor I'Nicholasv
remarked somebody from the audience Octa-
vus Augustus was a cruel. merciless man, with
an iron will and austere character. He mount
ed his throne after having stained with blood its
steps by putting to death and banishine dozens
of lovers of liberty. He was hated The people
groaned under his oppression. The numberless
wars he engaged in were successful. but disas-
trous military catastrophe, winch resulted main
~ from the rapacity and ncapacty of his gen
erals, clouGed the last DAYS of his career-I
mean the defeat of the legions of Quinetilius
Varus You mean Sebastopol!' corrected one
of the hearers.l Dion Cassus and Tacitus
late that the death of the Emperor occurred
under such suspicious circumstances that the
people believed re was poisoned. His predeces-
sor was an elegant lover of women; he was a
rude libertine. When his son proclaimed him
self emperor, he was hailed with Joy by the peo-
pie. By introducing some reforms, stated
above, and doing little toward elevating the
lower classes he soon won the reputation OF a
lbera-minded man. The nation woke up from
her lorg slumber; every one breathed easier;
fresh healthful spirit pervadsd the literature a
host of young. gifted writers and poets entered
the public arena, and many field where for
years songs OF slavery were heard resounded
songs of free men. But this state Of affairs did
1acf oh
clers, Suetonius. D. Cassius, V. Paterculus, and
Tacitus authorities for the statement that
Tberus changed his mind when his son. Caius
Cesar the young heir apparent, a loose but tai
ented youth, died. Drusus Cesar, his younger
brother inherited both his throne and his BRIDE
and that woman with practical sense willingly
few into the arms of Drusus she was going
to become Cajus's WIFE Applause and re-
marks She is now the Empress of all the Rus
sias.1 The longer the Emperor reigned the
less ne thought of his people Tacitus says, lit
orally: The government suppressed the works
of writers most favored by the people, but,
of course. its efforts proved failure
The suppressed books were. published and
read in secret. How foolish is the nearsighted-
ness of those who believe that their power for
the time being is So great as to benumb the
memories of the generations to come. Persecu-
| tion always magnifes the glory of talents Rul-
| ers practice such crueltes practicing
| them for their own ignomlny. and for the glory
| of their victims" When disappointment fol-
| was suppressed, and people began to that
| their most cherished hopes nothing but
| dreams, they tried to protest by means of petit
| tons. phlets and demonstrations. Dungeons.
| executions and Punishment were the answer
| the government gave The numbers of the dis
| contented grew larger from day to day. They
| began to form copspraces, and net of secret
revolutionary organizations soon covered the en-
tire country. Women worked for the overthrow
| of tyranny ardently the men. To the
| growing revolutionary agitation the gov
eminent had but reply-the gallows.
| Hundreds of men and women were
| dragged into the courts, and after a
| short process sent to the hangmen. Then ex-
| ecutions of the executioners began. A number
| of prptorian chieftans assassnated, and
| in one of the southern provinces in Spain gov
ernor was killed Against the Emperors own
life several attempts were made. demoraliz-
ing system of denunciators was instituted, which
destroyed the lives of thousands of innocent per-
| sons. The tyrant grew suspicious. Fancying
| himself constantly pursued by the ghosts of his
victims. and menaced by hosts of Brutuses and
Cassiuses, he fed to the south. There. on the
island of Capri lOf Crimea you should say.
added somebody, protected by multitude OF
pr@torians enjoying the sight of the blue sky,
| the placid sea, and the green mountains, he
INDUCED in most refined and excessive de-
baucheries. while a reign of terror was
| instituted in the capital by his favorite,
/ Sejanus General Gourkop remarked some
| body. under storm of laughter Such
was the condition of affairs in the vast